Snow damages 58 polyhouses in Spiti
Mandi/Keylong, January 2
Almost all 58 polyhouses, set up by the Green Tech in the snow-bound tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, have perished under heavy snow.
The local MLA and farmers have decided to take up the matter with Chief Minister PK Dhumal

A file photo of polyhouses in
Lahaul-Spiti.

Kolkata tourists rescued from Kalpa
Shimla, January 2
More than 100 tourists from West Bengal, who had been stranded at Kalpa in Kinnaur district since Thursday due to heavy snow, have been rescued. However, three families from Jharkhand are still stuck in the Sangla valley, officials said today.

VC for 6 new courses in agri university
Dharamsala, January 2
Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar HP Agriculture University has decided to tighten noose around its teaching faculty to increase productivity to justify burgeoning expenditure of the institute. An indication to this effect was given by VC SK Sharma in his New Year address to the university staff yesterday.

Speed post may cost students yearExam forms sent through postal dept were rejected as these reached very late
Despite requests, the state board is in no mood to relax conditions
Dharamsala, January 2
The poor postal service in the state may cost a large number of students, who intend to appear in exams to be conducted by Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBSE), their academic year.

Men at work

MC officials in the process of clearing snow from a road in Dalhousie
on Sunday. Photo: Balkrishan Prashar

Cong banks on Sant Samaj chief in Una
Una, January 2
While Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, head of the Sant Samaj, is part of the third front created by splinter Akali Dals in Punjab, in Himachal, the Congress is banking on him to win municipal poll in Una.

Acid test for Kaul Singh, Dhumal
Shimla, January 2
The stage is set for the elections to the urban local bodies the outcome of which will provide a broad indication about the ground realities on the political turf and of the mood of the people in the state.

All set for MC poll today
Hamirpur, December 2
All is set for urban local bodies’ poll for the Hamirpur nagar parishad and three nagar panchayats of
Sujanpur, Nadaun and Bhota, polling for which will take place tomorrow.

Poll Promises
Cong seeks white paper from BJP
Shimla, January 2
Contesting the claim of the BJP government that it had implemented 95 per cent of the poll promises made in the election manifesto, general secretary of the state Congress Kuldeep Rathore has urged Chief Minister PK Dhumal to bring a white paper on the issue so that facts are placed before the public.

General secretary of the state Congress Kuldeep Rathore addresses mediapersons in Shimla
on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

BJP claims major win in rural polls
Shimla, January 2
Claiming victory in the panchayat polls, the ruling BJP today said 75 to 78 per cent of the posts had been won by the candidates supported by it.

Tough fight between two former MC chiefs
Kangra, January 2
Elections to the post of president of the Kangra Municipal Committee (MC) scheduled for tomorrow is witnessing a five-cornered contest but the fight is neck-and-neck between two former MC chiefs Suman Verma and Urmilla
Sharma.

A man enjoys a sunny day after snowfall at the IGMC in Shimla on Sunday.
Photo: Amit Kanwar

Vikas Manch guns for Cong, BJP
Nalagarh, January 2
With both Congress and BJP announcing its respective agendas for mustering public support in the Nalagarh municipal committee, the Nalagarh Vikas Manch has raised questions concerning the town’s development on behalf of the common man.

PR director’s extension hailed
Shimla, January 2
The Public Relations Welfare Association (PROWA), the Him Lok Sampark Field Staff Association and the Him Lok Sampark Ministerial Staff Association have hailed the decision of the government to grant extension in service to the director of Information and Public Relations BD Sharma.

Director flayed for revoking pupil’s suspension
Dharamsala, January 2
Former minister and Congress MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali has criticised the director, medical education and research, Himachal, for revoking the suspension of Ashish Saklani, a student of Tanda medical college.

Trekking expedition flagged off
Dalhousie, January 2
The Youth Hostels’ Association of India (YHAI) has organised the National Himalayan Winter Trekking expedition in the Dalhousie region for the 19th year in succession.

5 booked for creating ruckus
Dharamsala, January 2
The district police has arrested Manohar Lal, husband of Shashi Devi (a candidate for the post of pradhan of Ramer), for creating ruckus at the counting centre last evening. Besides Manohar
Lal, four others have also been booked.

Mandi/Keylong, January 2
Almost all 58 polyhouses, set up by the Green Tech in the snow-bound tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, have perished under heavy snow.
The local MLA and farmers have decided to take up the matter with Chief Minister PK Dhumal as the farmers had objected to the substandard pipes being used in the tribal belt.

According to information gathered by The Tribune from the farmers and representatives of panchayats, almost all polyhouses have collapsed under the 3-4 feet of snowfall in Lahaul and Udaipur subdivisions.

“It is a big scam as the company had set up over 58 polyhouses and insured these and an official inspection was also carried out,” the farmers said.

Prem Singh, a farmer from the Sissu panchayat in the Chandra valley, said all polyhouses in the valley had perished under the 4 feet of snow that the valley received recently.

Presidents of the Koksar and Sissu panchayats, Tenzing Dolma and Jagdish Chand, respectively, said more than 24 polyhouses in the Kangasar Sissu and Gondla areas had collapsed under the snow. However, some polyhouses, which had been set up with a support of 50 mm pipes in 2009, have survived the damage. But last year, the farmers were given 25 mm pipes of poor quality which collapsed under the weight of snow,” they revealed.

Even in the Pattan valley in Udaipur subdivision, almost all polyhouses set up by the company have collapsed. “We have brought the matter to the notice of local MLA Ram Lal Markendey and the district administration,” the farmers said.

The private company is a major beneficiary of the government-run Deen Dayal Kisan Bhagwan Polyhouses Scheme as it gets 80 per cent of the government subsidies and 20 per cent is paid by the farmers. “A polyhouse costs Rs 52,000 in the Lahaul valley out of which a farmer pays Rs 10,000 and the rest of the amount is paid by the government to the company,” the farmers added.

Even scientists have recommended poly-carbonated sheets for polyhouses in the snow-bound areas of the state. “But their recommendation was ignored with reasons best known to the government,” experts said.

MD, Green Tech, Rajinder Thakur said they had set up 58 polyhouses in Lahaul-Spiti under the government specifications and these were inspected by the committee. “The cost per polyhouse under the government specifications comes to Rs 52,000. But the cost of the 50 mm pipes structure goes up to Rs 80,000 and the poly-carbonated sheet structure costs Rs 1.5 lakh for which there is no provision in the scheme,” he said.

Markendey said they had raised objections earlier also as the material used in polyhouses in Mandi and Kullu would not survive in the snow-bound tribal belt. “We are taking up the matter with the Chief Minister so that farmers are compensated,” he added.

Lahaul-Spiti DC Ritesh Chauhan said he was not aware that the polyhouses had collapsed as he was out of station on leave, but would inquire into the matter.

Shimla, January 2
More than 100 tourists from West Bengal, who had been stranded at Kalpa in Kinnaur district since Thursday due to heavy snow, have been rescued. However, three families from Jharkhand are still stuck in the Sangla valley, officials said today.

“All tourists from Bengal, mainly from Kolkata, were rescued last evening after the 13-km-long road connectivity to Reckong Peo and Kalpa was restored. They have left for their destinations,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Pankaj Sharma said. He said 10 persons from Jharkhand were still stuck in a Sangla village which had also been cut off from the rest of the country due to heavy snow.

He said the road connectivity to the Sangla village, which was cut off on Thursday, is likely to be restored by the evening.

The picturesque Kalpa and Sangla valley — which remains cut off from the rest of the country during winter owing to heavy snowfall — is around 250 km from Shimla.

In September last year, tourists from West Bengal had remained stranded for five days in the Sangla valley after incessant rainfall triggering massive landslides. Most of them were later airlifted by a state-run chopper.

A government spokesperson here advised tourists not to venture into the remote areas of the state during winter as chances of heavy snow and avalanches were high. — IANS

Dharamsala, January 2
Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar HP Agriculture University has decided to tighten noose around its teaching faculty to increase productivity to justify burgeoning expenditure of the institute. An indication to this effect was given by VC SK Sharma in his New Year address to the university staff yesterday.

SK Sharma said the university would introduce six new academic programmes, strengthen its research work at outstations and reach more farmers this year.

The existing degree programmes in the four constituent colleges would be strengthened and efforts be made to introduce some new programmes, including certificate courses, bachelor degree, masters degree and doctoral degree programmes, he said.

The Vice-Chancellor said to serve the farmers at their doorsteps, a diagnostic mobile lab worth Rs 50 lakh would be introduced soon to provide agriculture and veterinary diagnostic facilities.

Speed post may cost students year
Exam forms sent through postal dept were rejected as these reached very late
Despite requests, the state board is in no mood to relax conditions
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 2
The poor postal service in the state may cost a large number of students, who intend to appear in exams to be conducted by Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBSE), their academic year.

A student from Hamirpur sent his examination form through speed post service of the postal department on December 1 for appearing in 10+2 exams to be conducted by the HPBSE. The speed post service promises to deliver letters within 24 hours.

At Snail’s Pace

Inquiries reveal that a letter posted through the speed post service of the postal department at Una first goes to Ambala in
Haryana. From Ambala, it is sent to Pathankot through train from where it is further sent to
Dharamsala. It is strange that when a direct road route from Una to Dharamsala is just 120 km, why the postal department sends letters through such a long route

However, he received a shock when he got a letter from the education board rejecting his examination form. Board officials said the form of the student was rejected as it reached after December 15, the cut-off date for accepting the forms.

Sources in the education board revealed that the examination form was received on December 20. It means that a letter posted through speed post from Hamirpur reached Dharamsala in 20 days.

A student from Una posted his examination form through the speed post service on December 10. His form reached Dharamsala office of the HPBSE on December 17.

The student moved a petition before the chairman of the education board-cum-deputy commissioner Kangra RS Gupta requesting him to use his discretionary power to accept his form on the plea that his form was delayed due to poor service of the postal department.

Sources here told The Tribune that examination forms of hundreds of candidates have been delayed due to poor service of the postal department in the state. These included students who were to appear in the compartment exam for the last time. If the HPBSE authorities do not accept the delayed forms of compartment students, it would waste their two academic years.

However, the HPBSE authorities are in no mood to relax the conditions due to exposure of the examination scam. While talking to The Tribune, senior officials of the board said the previous chairman of the education board CL Gupta was in soup for accepting about 800 late examination forms using his discretionary powers. So, nobody would risk using discretionary power.

The chairman of education board RS Gupta said: “We may consider giving some relaxation to compartment students. If rules are not relaxed, the genuine students may lose two academic years”, he said.

He, however, added that despite the fact that in many cases it was very clear that examination forms were delayed due to the poor postal service, relaxation might not be granted to students appearing privately.

“The board has to draw a line somewhere. If we are strict this time, the students would be more particular while filling their examination forms from the next year”, the chairman said.

Una, January 2
While Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, head of the Sant Samaj, is part of the third front created by splinter Akali Dals in Punjab, in Himachal, the Congress is banking on him to win municipal poll in Una.

The Congress has not fielded any candidate against Amarjot Singh Bedi, son of Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, who is contesting for the post of vice-president of the municipal council, Una.

Sources here said the Congress had directed its cadre to support Amarjot Singh Bedi and in return, the baba would support party candidate for the post of president Jaswinder Kaur.

Even Jaswinder Kaur, the former president of the Una municipal council, is considered a close confidante of Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi.

The baba, who claims to be from the lineage of the first guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, has himself remained the president of the Una municipal council for a very long time. It was only during the last stint of the council that Baba Bedi was prevented from heading the council by a group of BJP councillors.

Baba Bedi has a stronghold in the sizable Sikh community of Una and the Congress intends to gain from his vote bank.

The BJP on the other hand has given ticket to Mamta Kashap, wife of Navdeep Kashap, the arch rival of Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, for the post of president.

For the post vice-president, the BJP has given ticket to Janak Raj Khazanchi who was a member of the group that kept Baba Bedi out of power in Una council last year.

Shimla, January 2
The stage is set for the elections to the urban local bodies the outcome of which will provide a broad indication about the ground realities on the political turf and of the mood of the people in the state.

The polling will commence at 9 am and close at 4 pm tomorrow and counting of votes will be undertaken immediately. It is for the first time that election to the 48 municipal councils and nagar panchayats is being conducted on party symbols.

The stakes are high for both the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress as, unlike the panchayat polls, the results will reflect on their relative popularity.

The BJP has completed three years in office and the polls will be virtually a referendum on its policies and performance. A good showing in the polls will put the seal of approval on its performance and the party will be in a position to claim that the people have endorsed its policies and programme.

Similarly, a favourable verdict will help infuse a new life in the opposition Congress which has not shown any sign of making a comeback since it lost power in 2007 when it managed to win just 23 out of the total 68 assembly seats.

Its popularity dipped further and it performed poorly in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll losing three of the four seats even as the party did well elsewhere in the country. It had subsequently lost its impregnable bastion of Rohru in the byelection. The seat was vacated by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh following his election to the Lok Sabha.

It will be an acid test for Kaul Singh who has been given the reins of the party for a second consecutive term by the high command and if the party does well, he will emerge stronger and the party will be put on the comeback trail.

It is also for the first time that president and vice-president will be elected directly by the voters. Women will be calling the shots in the new elected bodies, irrespective of the fact which party emerges victorious, as 50 per cent of the seats have been reserved for them for the first time. Their actual representation will be much higher as many more women are contesting from open seats.

As many as 3,04,645 voters, 1.60 lakh men and 1.40 lakh women, will caste their votes to elect 48 presidents and a similar number of vice-presidents, and a total of 406 ward members in 25 nagar parishads (municipal councils) and 23 nagar panchayats (notified area committees). Electronic voting machines will be used for the first time and counting of votes will be started as soon as polling is over.

Hamirpur, December 2
All is set for urban local bodies’ poll for the Hamirpur nagar parishad and three nagar panchayats of Sujanpur, Nadaun and Bhota, polling for which will take place tomorrow.

The urban local bodies’ poll, which is being held simultaneously at 48 places in the state, has generated keen interest this time as the elections for the posts of president and vice-president are being held directly and on party symbol for the first time.

The polling will take place from 9 am to 4 pm and counting of votes will begin immediately after the polling and all results are likely to be declared by the night.

As many as 130 candidates are in the fray for the Hamirpur nagar parishad and Sujanpur, Nadaun and Bhota nagar panchayats.

The contest in Hamirpur nagar parishad is five-cornered with Deep Kumar (BJP), Prakash Chand (Congress), Kashmiri Lal Handa, Avnish Kumar and Yashpal (all Independents) contesting for the top post while contest for the post of vice-president is direct between Dharmender of the BJP and Manoj of the Congress.

As many as 11,545 voters will cast their votes in the Hamirpur nagar parishad where 44 candidates are contesting for different posts.

In Bhota, 23 candidates are in the fray and 1,065 voters will cast their votes.

In Sujanpur, 5,503 voters will cast their votes to decide the fate of 32 candidates.

Hamirpur being the home district of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, the election here has generated keen interest as he is yet to decide about his choice of constituency in the next Assembly elections after the merger of his present Bamsan constituency in the last delimitation process.

Both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are giving much importance to the elections, especially for the post of president, as this will determine their hold in the towns of the state. Moreover, this election is an important political trial of strength before the next Assembly elections.

The election for the president is direct between the BJP and the Congress candidates in the Bhota and Sujanapur nagar panchayats.

In Hamirpur the BJP is facing rebels in nagar parishad while the Congress is facing rebel in Nadaun nagar panchayat elections.

Shimla, January 2
Contesting the claim of the BJP government that it had implemented 95 per cent of the poll promises made in the election manifesto, general secretary of the state Congress Kuldeep Rathore has urged Chief Minister PK Dhumal to bring a white paper on the issue so that facts are placed before the public.

Addressing a press conference here today, he said the Dhumal government had in many cases done exactly opposite of what it had promised. Citing an example, he said the party had in its manifesto promised to strengthen the state administrative tribunal by setting up its circuit benches at Dharamsala and Mandi, but after coming to power it totally scrapped the tribunal, despite protests from the employees.

Similarly, it had promised to provide jobs to the educated unemployed, but it actually retrenched the teachers engaged through the parent teachers’ association. It clearly showed that the claim of the government that it had adopted the election manifesto as a policy document for implementation was misleading as it had deviated from it.

Not only that, the governance had suffered under the present regime as evident from the fact that the administration failed to keep the roads open during the apple season. The recent snow made it more evident as all roads were closed and there was power breakdown in several areas because of which both tourists and local people suffered.

All achievements being flaunted by the Dhumal government like central university, IIT, NIFT, ESIC medical college, three IRB battalions, the World Bank-funded road project and many other schemes were sanctioned by the UPA government. It was surprising that on one hand the Chief Minister was alleging discrimination by the Centre and on the other claiming all projects sanctioned by it as the achievements of his government. Such conflicting stands expose the dual talk of the BJP.

Shimla, January 2
Claiming victory in the panchayat polls, the ruling BJP today said 75 to 78 per cent of the posts had been won by the candidates supported by it.

Convener of the panchayati raj cell of the party HN Kashyap said here today that the final tally had exposed the Congress and its leaders were now making misleading statements to divert the attention from the poll results.

The party was in the process of compiling the complete information and the district units had been asked to send the details of winners. The party was poised to do well in the election to the urban local bodies the polling for which would take place tomorrow.

Kangra, January 2
Elections to the post of president of the Kangra Municipal Committee (MC) scheduled for tomorrow is witnessing a five-cornered contest but the fight is neck-and-neck between two former MC chiefs Suman Verma and Urmilla
Sharma.

Kangra district Congress chief Suman Verma was contesting as party nominee and former MC chief Urmila Sharma as an
Independent.

BJP candidate Bhavna Gupta, who had been a member of the MC in the last tenure, was not cutting much ice.

Two other candidates
—Ranjni Devi and Sushma Bharri — both belonging to the OBC community are in the fray as
Independents.

Suman Verma, who is a resident of Old Kangra, had served as the chief of the MC for one-year before a member withdrew his support and she was out of office. Success of Suman was an undaunted need for the Congress as she was heading the party in Kangra district.

Late Bal Krishen Sharma husband of Urmilla Sharma had been the chief of the Kangra MC for years together and his followers were making all out efforts to see that Urmilla wins the elections this time.

Meanwhile, the Congress in its manifesto promised to provide free ambulance services for the BPL families, transparency in the MC activities, besides better sanitation. It also promised to elevate Kangra polytechnic college to an engineering college and the problem of stray animals, including monkeys, would be taken up with seriousness. It also promised to construct an underground parking place near the MC office, besides a shopping complex and a community
hall.

Suman Verma said if she wins she would start a programme “Aap Ka pradhan aap ke dhawar par” in order to mitigate the problems of the common man. She
said sanitation and better street lights would be her other priorities.

Urmilla Sharma said better sanitation, parking facilities and street lights, besides providing shops to unemployed youth, were her priorities. She said if she wins the town would be developed as an attractive pilgrim town.

Nalagarh, January 2
With both Congress and BJP announcing its respective agendas for mustering public support in the Nalagarh municipal committee, the Nalagarh Vikas Manch has raised questions concerning the town’s development on behalf of the common man.

The manch has come out with pamphlets demanding to know what had been done in the last 10 years for the town’s development and on what grounds were the politicians seeking votes for the crucial
posts of chairman and vice-chairman.

Opening the pandora’s box of corruption, the manch has sought answers as to why a park in Nalagarh was used for constructing a community centre when it was the only space available for the children to play and for the elderly to stroll. The case was now being probed by the vigilance bureau.

It has also questioned the role of a councillor who allegedly sold off the land belonging to a park in connivance with a property dealer and also got
its building maps cleared for undertaking construction.

The manch, while denying any political or personal affiliation towards any candidate, has urged the public to consider these crucial facts while
holding the successive municipal committees of two terms responsible for these ills.

Shimla, January 2
The Public Relations Welfare Association (PROWA), the Him Lok Sampark Field Staff Association and the Him Lok Sampark Ministerial Staff Association have hailed the decision of the government to grant extension in service to the director of Information and Public Relations BD Sharma.

Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for the decision, the associations in a joint statement here today said the department would be strengthened further and it would gain from his vast experience.

He had rendered valuable services to the department for a long time.

The office-bearers of PROWA Man Singh, president, Him Lok Sampark Field Staff Association, and Labh Singh, president, Him Lok Sampark Ministerial Staff Association, met the Chief Minister along with the employees of the department and thanked him for retaining the services of B.D Sharma. They said the decision would motivate them to work with renewed vigour and dedication.

Dharamsala, January 2
Former minister and Congress MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali has criticised the director, medical education and research, Himachal, for revoking the suspension of Ashish Saklani, a student of Tanda medical college.

Ashish, the roommate of Aman Satya Kachroo, was suspended for allegedly posting obscene remarks on his Facebook account regarding some female students. The disciplinary committee of the college that inquired into the incident had recommended six-month suspension from the college for Ashish that was accepted by the management of Tanda medical
college.

The director, medical education, on the other hand has recommended to the medical college authorities to reduce the punishment of Ashish into monetary terms rather than suspending him from college.

Bali, while talking to The Tribune, alleged that the director had issued orders regarding revoking suspension of Ashish under some political pressure. The management of Tanda medical college had been accused for being lax towards students that ultimately led to the death of Aman Kachroo in a ragging incident. Now once again the college management is forced to withdraw a decision made by the
disciplinary committee of the college.

The government should not interfere in such small matters relating to discipline in the college, Bali said.

He also claimed that the Congress had won 90 per cent panchayat elections in the Nagrora Bagwan
constituency.

Dalhousie, January 2
The Youth Hostels’ Association of India (YHAI) has organised the National Himalayan Winter Trekking expedition in the Dalhousie region for the 19th year in succession.

Nearly 900 participants from over 16 states are participating in the trekking expedition divided into 18 batches. Everyday approximately 50 trekkers report at the base camp and will trek to Dalhousie, Kalatop, Khajjiar and finally reach Chamba.

S. Samuel, officer on special duty (OSD) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Mandi, flagged off the 13th batch of trekkers from the Youth Hostel at Dalhousie.

While addressing the participants, Samuel said through such treks the YHAI was promoting adventure tourism in the state in a big way. The speciality about this batch was that there were 34 differently abled trekkers from GM Khore Deaf and Dumb Junior College, Nagpur (Maharashtra). The YHAI has always encouraged differently abled persons to participate in such trekking programmes, he added.

“You trekkers are lucky enough to have come here after the first snowfall of the season. While enjoying the snow-covered trekking itinerary, also bear in mind that the nature has given us this beauty to enjoy and we have no right to spoil it,” Samuel said.

Stimit Srimany, field director of the trekking programme, said the trekkers were advised to be environment conscious and each batch had an environment leader to take care that no damage was done to the forest area. They also collect non-biodegradable material littered on the route by other tourists and deposit it at the next camp.

Captain Rajender Singh Rana, manager of the Youth Hostel, said Dalhousie was proud to receive so many trekkers from different states.

The YHAI, which is affiliated to the International Youth Hostel Federation, has been organising trekking expedition programmes at different locations of the state, thereby, promoting adventure tourism in the state.

Dharamsala, January 2
The district police has arrested Manohar Lal, husband of Shashi Devi (a candidate for the post of pradhan of Ramer), for creating ruckus at the counting centre last evening. Besides Manohar Lal, four others have also been booked.

Kangra SP Diljeet Singh said after the results were declared at the counting centre in Ramer yesterday, Manohar Lal whose wife lost the poll attacked the polling party. He also damaged the public property at the counting centre.